Demand for bandwidth by enterprises and individual consumers continues to experience exponential growth. To meet this demand efficiently and economically, data centers have to achieve ultra-high density cabling with low loss budgets. Fiber optics have become the standard cabling medium used by data centers to meet the growing needs for data volume, transmission speeds, and low losses. An optical fiber connector is a mechanical device disposed at an end of an optical fiber, and acts as a connector of optical paths, for example when optical fibers are joined to each other. An optical fiber connector may be coupled with an adapter to connect an optical fiber cable to other optical fiber cables or devices. An adapter generally includes a housing, or portion of a housing, having at least one port which is configured to receive and hold a connector to facilitate the optical connection of one connector to another connector or other device.
In external applications wherein the adapters and connectors may be exposed to weather, such as rain or moisture, the connectors may be ruggedized. However, weatherproof ruggedized optical connection cables are factory made, and only in common lengths, and delivered into the field where they are used to extend optical fiber service from a centralized distribution enclosure to a nearby customer. Accordingly, there is a need for ruggedized optical fiber connectors that may be field terminated.